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The largest city in Pennsylvania, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed: Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. This year in Philadelphia, DACO held their 6th annual Black Cannabis Week Conference at Temple University where people with big names, big missions, loud messages, and a whole lot of passion met under one roof to discuss, advocate, and fight for: cannabis, black and brown owned businesses, and black and brown voices in the space.
Learn more about DACO, the conference, and who was involved below.
Black Cannabis Week by DACO

DACO is the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities and was established to help promote the awareness of cannabis in Black and Brown communities. DACO sees the value and importance in reducing the barriers to entry and access to the cannabis industry. DACO wants to ensure that marginalized communities’ access and information to the opportunities in cannabis generate positive change. Black Cannabis Week is the first free, annual cannabis conference with a focus on the Black and Brown community.
Black Cannabis Week is the Black and Brown community connection to entrepreneurship, wellness, innovation, education, and more. The conference focuses on organizing cannabis events that span across the African diaspora. Both virtually and in person, Black Cannabis Week offers individuals the opportunity to connect, network, and participate in the upliftment of Black and Brown owned businesses in the cannabis industry.
Philadelphia was glowing all weekend long in the name of BIPOC owned in cannabis. This was my first time attending, and my first time serving as media sponsor, with the assistance of Leena Trinidad and Magical Goddess Dom.
Black Cannabis Week Panels and Discussion Overview

Black Cannabis Week 2023 began on September 17. From that day through Thursday September 21, Black Cannabis Week virtual panels consisted of panels discussing:
- The History of Cannabis
- Cannabis and Family
- Cultivating Cannabis
- Cannabis Entrepreneurship
- Cannabis Advocacy
During the in-person conference, Senator Sharif Street went live during many panels on Facebook, so those attending virtually were able to tune in to the discussions held by legislators, business owners, and medical professionals at Temple University:
- Policy and Opportunities Roundtable
- Keynotes
- Pitch Contests
- Black Voices in Cannabis
- Cannabis Policy Reform
- DACO Awards
- Finding Purpose Through Adversity
- Mini Keynotes
- Cannabis Careers
- Exploring the Future of Cannabis
- Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
- Cannabis for Mental Health
- Wellness as a State of Mind
- Entrepreneurship Homecoming
By Us, For Us, Black and Brown Owned in Cannabis in the Building for Black Cannabis Week

Leena and Dom had the pleasure and opportunity to walk the vendor floor, meet business owners, and check out amazing products. Some of the businesses with booths, civic partners, books found in the BCW bookstore, and podcasts found on podcast row at Black Cannabis Week were:
- Keidy Weedy
- Plant and People
- Black Dragon Breakfast Club
- Sunflowers Space Cakes
- Courage in Cannabis by Dr. Bridget Cole Williams
- How to Succeed in the Cannabis Industry by Dasheeda Dawson
- Black Woman Surviving, Passionately Managing my Life by Dana Martin
- Cash Color Cannabis
- Inside the Ecosystem
- The Franklin Crocker Show
- Rev-ve Radio
- M4MM- Minorities for Medical Marijuana
- KYP- Know Your Politician
- Drug Policy Alliance
- Decriminalize Nature Philadelphia
Check out Dom’s and Leena’s summaries below.
Leena: “The vendor floor was a beautiful space with a lot of women owned businesses. There were businesses of all types including dispensaries. I noticed there were more businesses offering products such as clothes, accessories, and jewelry, than there were ingestible type products. One of my favorite ingestibles was Sunflowers Space Cakes, and seeing many of my BCB Mastermind family warmed my heart. There were a few dispensaries set up and
The energy was inspiring, and seeing so many Black and Brown owned businesses under one roof gave me more motivation. Black Cannabis Week was nothing short of amazing and it was a great opportunity to be there.”

Dom: “The second floor, my favorite floor, was Wellness Row! An expertly curated team of holistic health entrepreneurs created a serene experience for registrants to enjoy the healing aspects of the Black Cannabis Week gathering. While magic was taking place on every floor, the second floor was the most tangible evidence of that happening.
It may sound trivial to some, but the presence of healing energy is often missing or lackluster in cannabis industry spaces. It’s important for us in the cannabis community to remember that there is culture and then there is industry. Black Cannabis Week offered a balance of both.”
Final Words

Save the date; Black Cannabis Week is back Sept 22-29, 2024, in Philadelphia! Follow the page on Instagram to stay in the know! Head to the website to learn more about speaking, setting up your booth, and/or supporting as a sponsor.
Follow on social media: #travelingcannabiswriter
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Veronica Castillo is known as the Traveling Cannabis Writer. Her body of work includes educational and informative insights on cannabis and various plant medicines, and she travels the country to provide insight on cannabis friendly travel. She is a collaborator, connector, content creator, and traveler that specialized in bringing to light the hidden gems in the plant space. Follow her journey: #travelingcannabiswriter.